War of the Tears
Forward for the War of Tears The war of Tear's occurred during a time when the En'thromii were role playing with lands and realms based somewhat on Forgotten Realms. The War was summarized and written down by a young En'thromii of Drow ancestry, specifically the Eiellur line of Drow (Ilaedrian of the Shadow Court). At some point these chronicle's will need to be adapted to the newer En'thromii lore, so take nothing in these writings as canon. I was the player behind the young Drow/En'thromii, Zandeln Venoch, who was the Shadow Claws pack Chronicler up until the point that Marrok the Mad took Zandeln out. While nothing here should be considered canon, it is a history, touched with various characters stories, and I think will make a valuable asset to this wiki. Originally planned to be three 'books' or scrolls, the third is not yet finished (mainly as I was not able to gather enough of the stories for it) ______________________________________________________________________________ The War of Tears - The Beginning A history of recent events by Chronicler Zandeln d'Venoch The opening salvo of what may be called “The War of Tears” some day, came upon our land not with the glorious fanfare of a trumpeting army, but as a thief in the still quiet of the darkening cold night. It first started with the odd appearance of magically created orbs of lightning about the land, that moved occasionally as if searching for something. People attempting to research or even eliminate these orb's were harmed in ways most foul. There was kind of a despair coming from them, a shadow from a evil greater then most could conceive of. As the orbs moved through the land, an occasional strange creatures would appear. Servants of Marrok the Mad, we would discover later. Some of these creatures were confronted and driven off. It was at this time the discovery was made that Marrok the Mad was behind the creatures and the Orb's of lightning. I was not present for that, but the high priestess of Luna, Shynne, was able to identify that it was Marrok who was sending these things into our lands. The orbs of lighting, taller then a person, simply vanished one day. A few days after that, is when Marrok the Mad made his first assault. He sent in a giant, a Jontun, with instructions to plant pilliars, with wolf runes floating around them, into the four corners of the land. The giant went unchallenged and unnoticed, up until the point the sound of him slamming the pillar's into our land, reverberated through the Caves of Venoch. I went outside to see what the noise was about, and spied the Jontun planting the fourth pillar just outside Venoch in the swamps. Raising the alarm without pause, other wolves came, and we confronted the giant. The Shaman and my mom were the first to arrive. The fight was not a very long one, the giant was ill equipped to defend itself against an angry pack of En'thromii. That might have had something to do with the fact it was still carrying a fifth pillar on his back. It was touch and go for a while, but the giant started to flee. I used a arrow I saved for a special occasion that I had coated with a distilled substance from tabbac plants, to try and stop that Jontun, but he escaped into the Ruvian lands. The poison on that arrow is so virulent, it can only be assumed the giant died someplace in Ruvia or further on. Alas we did not capture the giant, but we did drive it off before it planted that last pillar. I fully realize that using 'I' in these histories when I was involved in some of the events, instead of writing in the third person, might offend some scholarly types that feel histories should be written outside of a persons involvement in that history. I humbly suggest they either stop reading, or they just deal with it. I refuse to speak of my involvement in the third person, that's just ostentatious. It was soon discovered that the pillars were nefarious. At first it appeared that their purpose was to just block mage's access to the weave. And they were warded to drive people away from them. Soon though the land near the pillars became fallow, unable to support live. In a fit of rage one day, I did manage to tear one of the pillar's out of the ground, but it didn't do much good. The land suffered, the mage's were blocked from performing their art's, and it fell to the shamans and druid to try and protect the land, without the help of our mages. Worse, it seems that around this time the High Priestess of Luna, Shynne vanished as well. And Luna our goddess, seems to have gone into hiding. It was at this point that a number of our En'Thromii began hunting for Marrok, most of them taking the dangerous paths through the Umbra. Including Mirshann, my own mother. Cadon, one that had formed a new pack in the past and then returned to us, ventured forth into the north along a more mundane path. He returned to us with the news that while he had not located Marrok's lair, he did locate one of Marrok's children, that evidently that one was just as mad as their father. To say the least, Cadon eliminated that problem. Cadon may not realize this but he might have done more then he thinks, as he possibly removed an additional adversary, and put a stop to that tainted mad bloodline for a time. During the time of Cadon's hunt, I again took a hand in trying to help our land. Using the Stone Singing gift I was born with, I pulled a duplicate image of the pillar's out of the one closest to VargsHjem. With the help of Thane Freya's magic, we heated that image until it started to glow red, and then dumped it into a bucket of near freezing water. Heated stone and cold water do not mix well, and the results were rather spectacular. Not only did that small image explode, causing it's larger parent outside to explode, but all the pillar's exploded in the same manner. It seemed they were all linked, and I assume there must have been a master pillar in Marrok's lair, that likewise suffered the same fate. While those Pillar's were warded against magic, Marrok failed to account for the gifts some few of us wolves are born with. Free of those pillar's influence the land started, briefly, to make a recovery. It was a short lived recovery however. Marrok responded to our first counter assaults by sending some sort of device into our land, that destroyed our Lupinar and bored into the very earth itself. It's ultimate goal was what Luna had hidden below there so long ago. The Tears of Luna. It reached it's goal, and the Tears of Luna were taken from our land. Without the Tears, the threads holding The South Wood to Gaia were gone, and the land slowly began returning to the Umbra from where it came originally. The land began dieing in truth. As we labored to find Marrok, I sung a song to our land to discover what if anything ailed it. This is where we found the truth of the matter that without the Tears to hold it to Gaia, it was slipping back into the spirit lands it cam from. As it was discovered, our land is but a shadow of a former land once known as Sentinel City, and it had been destroyed so very long ago. Using magic with the help of Luna, our Thane Freya had managed to call a shadow of our former homeland back to the world of the living, from what I gather, many years before I was born. The Ulfric had a dream sent to him by Shynne around this time. She had been in the Pool of Tears and had been taken along with them. In the dream Linwe, a Lythari that's been a friend to us all, and Shynne, both battled Marrok the Mad. While the fulls details of that battle are sketchy, what Argolind did learn was that somehow Shynne was able to get free with Luna's own Tiara, and now in Luna's place on her Throne, in the Temple of the Moon. Linwe, the beautiful and rare Lythari, fell during that battle however. Her mate Faulkes, now stays in a lonely vigil where her body lays in our land. More victims of the mad wolf. He is racking up a serious reckoning with us, that he will soon learn he can't really afford to pay. The tiara is evidently one of the things that Marrok the mad needed to take his own mothers place as the moon goddess. Shynne now wears Luna's crown and wields all of Luna's domains. The Ulfric says that we should pray to her now, while Luna remains hiding from her own son. I should point out that Luna is not hiding in fear from her son, but from the unpleasant task that would occur should she and Marrok meet. She would have to kill her own son. It's that dreadful task that she is hiding from. A mother never stops loving their children, no matter how bad they become. It fall's onto us En'Thromii to find a way to kill Marrok the Mad for Luna. It's what us En'Thromii were made for from what the Ulfric, Argolind, tells me. And to kill him before he can again muster the power to try and take Luna's or Shynne's place. If he manages to ascend into Luna's place, he will then be unbeatable by anything, except a god. While our own Shynne sits in Luna's place, he cannot. In that we have had a major victory already over the mad wolf. Thus things stand: Our land fades into the shadows of the veil slowly, while we still search for some way to prevent that. Much help has been given. The Sylvan's and the Ruvian's have been sending supplies and sometime people to help as they can. Even an ancient dragon scholar named Mathias has arrived to assist us. My mother returned from the Umbra to assist me when I had been injured, though there is still no sign of Silvanya, who might be lost and half mad in the Umbra. While we still hunt for Marrok's lair to launch an assault upon him, and look for way's to help our own land, he likely is plotting his own battle plans against us. Who will be able to strike the other first, remains to yet be seen. ______________________________________________________________________________ The War of Tears - Book 2 - Cry Wolf A history of recent events by Chronicler Zandeln d'Venoch The hunt for Marrok's lair began again, with many wolves seeking his lair out in the North where his children had been found. Others saw to trying yet again to help the lands. It was during this respite that my mother formalized her bond with the Ulfric, and became our packs new Lupa. To say that I was proud of her would be a gross understatement. The Ulfric himself sought out Linwe in the Umbra. Some of the rest of us were recovering from a poisoning. Silver dust was used and while most wolves fared well enough, my own voice was lost permanently, or so it seemed during the attack. I won't go into how losing ones ability to speak feels, and the Ulfric try as his might, it was slow going for him to try and repair the damage. One night Shynne, heard my despairing howls and interceded for me. She came down from from Luna's temple and wielding the full power of Luna, healed me herself. Freya herself sought out information on the poisoner, while it could be unrelated to our troubles, likely it was not. With one of Marrok's children being killed by he might of sent assassin's in for revenge. While some searched for Marrok, and others for that assassin, what was unknown to us is that another idea from months past, talking to (or freeing) the Fenris to confront Marrok, was being implemented. It will be impossible for the events of Fenris the Destroyer's release to be completely known about by me. But some I know. Freya summoned us all to the Lupinar to pray for Shynne as a menace worse then Marrok approached Luna's temple. I was one of the last to arrive and like the others, I lifted my voice in song with my odd gift to help. At that time most of us did not know what sort of menace the Chosen of Luna faced, but our new goddess asked for our help and we came. It's what our kind were made for. While I do not know the specifics of that confrontation at Luna's Temple, I do know that in the end we lost another battle. The Temple of Luna fell. Pieces of it began falling out of her higher Umbra onto our and neighboring lands. The Fenris had been released and he destroyed his mothers realm. Who can say why he would do that. Perhaps because when he was free to find his mother, he found our Shynee instead, guarded by her mate Ghostly, with her wearing Luna's crown and wielding Luna's powers. Far worse though, was that a few days after that dreadful battle at Luna's temple, Shynne was back with us. However Luna's symbol of power was not, it had been lost in Shynne's long fall from the Umbra. Which Umbra it came to rest upon is anyone's guess. Ghostly, the Mate of Shynne, The White Wolf, one of the first of the pact born, never returned from that battle. Without Shynne wielding Luna's domain of power to help, our land began fading faster. Sometimes it was changing before our very eyes from one day to the next. Food was impossible to find, supplies were running low, and sometime we would go days without food. In desperation two plans were decided upon. The first was the Ulfric's idea. He asked me to personally use my gift of the eld ways, Stone Singing, to make us a new Lupinar, and hopefully once again anchor our ailing land back to Gaia, without Luna's tears. Try as I might to find any histories on how a stone singer was to accomplish that, I did not. I did however find a disturbing trend about it from the legends and lore of us wolves. Singing up a true Lupinar like that, seemed to involve the loss of the Stone Singer themselves. As best as I was able to determine, such a true Lupinar, needs a guardian to watch over it's path ways into and out of the Umbra's. Without a guardian, the ways would be wide open for beings of chaos to come through an wreak havoc upon all. Far as I could tell, it was the greatest honor for a Stone Singer, to give themselves to the song when they did a great work, and become a guardian spirit. It is also the greatest curse of the gift, we must die when we do our best work. I don't think even Mato the Great Bear knew about that. I explained my findings to the Ulfric, but I did not mention this to my I'ssuri. She would surely block any use of my gifts that would take away her only pup. Once mom reads this history, I am certain I will be taken to task for that. While the Ulfric and Freya were preparing for this task, another responsibility fell to me. We needed to feed our people. So without many options left to accomplish this, I took control of the thieves of the South Woods, the Nameless, away from mom, and also excreted control over her drow house, and sent them all out on raiding parties. Not surprisingly their successes in that endeavor brought much food and farm supplies into our land again, and boosted their morale quite a bit as well. It was really the first successes we've had as a land since the War of Tears started. I also informed the Ulfric of my activities in this area, but only after the raiding parties had brought the first shipments of food home. Sometime it's better to ask for forgiveness, then it is for permission. We had people to feed, and a land that was no longer fertile, so we did what we had to do. If it seems like this history is becoming more of a personal account then a history of the lands, perhaps I should explain that the Ulfric and the Thane both, while they were dealing with the issues far beyond our land that was affecting us, that many of the day to day activities fell to those of us that were not. Justinian the Lone Wolf, was off looking for Luna's crown in the Umbra. Likewise as I understand it so was Blackheart the Brave and Silvanya the Sly. The new dwarf that came to our land, Tenkarr Moradain, saw to the necessity of refurbishing the smithy, allowing us to start rebuilding. So without many wolves around, it fell to me to see to the food supply problem. Again I did what anyone would do in such dire circumstances. I had our people raiding farms. A ship from far lands came visiting about this time, a war ship with a dozen or more gun ports per side, and carrying over two hundred soldiers. It caused some trepidation with us, but it appears it was nothing more then a wedding party of some kind of royalty. There were many many preparations going on around this time by all the wolves, and attempting to account for them all here would be impractical. Marrok was not being idle either, I suppose, but all of us were far to busy to deal with tracking him down yet. Likewise we also had the Fenris to now worry about as well. The land continued to change and alter around us as it faded, and the day came upon us to attempt to heal our land. Mirshann, our Lupa and my I'ssuri, had been busy evacuating our drow house entirely. To where she had taken them, she hasn't said, even to me. I am guessing that she established them in a new realm, and then left my Uncle in nominal charge. The land was fading fast so we also had started, with help of the Sylharan Rangers, to evacuate supplies and people out of the South Woods. This was all precautionary, or so we had deluded ourselves into believing, in that we were certain that with our talents combined we could stop the loss of our land. How wrong we were. As the wagons began leaving our lands, the Thane howled, and we gathered to her. It was time to heal the land on what became it's last fateful day. Thane Freya the Arcane, Ulfric Argolind the Spirit Walker, Linwe the Lythari, Mirshann the Ilharess and my I'ssuri, myself, and others all came to help. The plan was to raise a Lupinar and anchor the land again, for which I had prepared what I thought would be the perfect song. The others there to support me, mom clinging to my side as the Thane admitted the danger to me I lifted my to sing to the stone once again. And I was met with silence. My signing, even my humming always causes rocks to respond. Yet this time, like when I tried to sing to the fallen stone of Luna's temple, nothing happened. Linwe, The Thane, The Ulfric all summoned their power, and then sent it to me. At first I was uncertain how to use all that, as I'm no mage, just a stone singer. Eventual though I found a way to meld their powers with that of my song, and started again. This time I used the power to pull the land back from the Umbra. And as a new Lupinar rose up, jagged yet awesome form the very rocks, the land screamed in either pain, or protest, or perhaps even both. The land threw all that power at me, and that is all I really remember for some time. The land wasn't finished however, a volcano rose up out of the sea, and began covering our forest with ash and Lava. After The Ulfric did what he could to try and heal me, we all fled our angry land, with mom carrying me over her shoulder, as literally our small corner of the world exploded in rocky fire. I sort of came too across the river at the ranger hall, watching in horror as fire and ash rained down from the skies. Our people were fleeing in panic, across the bridges, across the rivers. Somehow during this, I had slipped into my wolf form though I don't know when. I could not watch anymore and buried my face against mom's shoulder as she had been holding me. I remember whining in shame. My stone singing had gone wrong and hastened our lands demise. The next few days were a blur of activity for all of us, and we scrambled to find out who made it across to safely. Places for them all to rest, and also looked for a place we could make a more adequate refugee camp. We eventually found a good quiet spot on Alasse for a yurt, and a set of caves there we could make into a more permanent refuge. It is a very quiet area, but that suits most of us. After our losses, none of us really wanted to be surrounded by well wishes and their platitudes. Justinian the Lone Wolf. Missing in the Umbra. Thane Blackheart of the South Wood. Missing in the Umbra. Shynne, Choosen of Luna, and Demi-goddess of the Phases. Presumed Dead. L'rah, House Venoch's Potion Master. Dead. Ghostly Dagger, Elder of En'thromii. Presumed Dead. Silvanya the Sly Wolf, Missing in the Umbra. Acona the Legendary, Missing. Red the Ranger. Missing. And Many others. Honor to the Fallen. ______________________________________________________________________________ The War of Tears - Book 3 – The Sylvan Years (Teaser! Not yet Complete!) A history of recent events by Chronicler Zandeln d'Venoch Munin, the Dire Raven and Freya's familiar, came screeching out of a rip in the sky above the ocean where our Land once had been. Lost for some time and thought dead, his call tore the veil allowing him to return. Where was the land? Where was his Mage!? The Raven was frantic as he searched for his mage and people, annoying any and all he could find, cawing out in his voice and managing one word in common with his persistent croaking. “Frey! Frey! Frey!” ((More to Come for Book there, the following are stories from The War of Tears, which will occur around the end of book three)) ______________________________________________________________________________ The War of Tears: Revenge of Chaos Zandeln returns to the den after a morning spent in talk with Linwe. During that talk and idea started to form, and he sits down mulling it over. It's...possible...but should he? He reaches into on pouch that holds rocks special to him. Most have been sung into shapes of wolves or people. Some are still just rocks, one, is a shatter fragment. A shattered fragment of the pillars Marrok used when he destroyed their home land during the war of tears. A war, that hasn't ended quite yet. But Zandeln might just have a way to change things for their side. Should he find Freya and ask? He's alpha, for now, and that could be seen as weakness. Plus he doesn't think she would allow what he's thinking of doing. But if he does do it, once he starts, every wolf in the pack will know, and every shaman to boot. He slowly stands as he makes a fateful decision. He will try it, but not here in the den, he heads into the quiet of Edhellrond as he start coming a special song in his mind. A very special one for his enemy, Marrok the Mad Wolf. This will probably kill a lot of his own kind, and he may have to pay the piper for that, but, it;s not the first time he's committed an atrocity on someone. He walks slowly into the south as he composes the song he will need in the hallows of his mind Annaryi paces by her throne her feet pick up off the ground every so often as her wings flutter. She keeps going over the past few days in her mind. She tops pacing and her lips curls into a sneer. The king had asked her something very important. For her true allegiance to the King and the kingdom of Taure Ru she had a fortnight to decide whether or not she would marry the King's son. She turns her head and spits. A low hiss comes out of her mouth. Her fae would fly past her and avoid the Unseelie Queen's gaze afraid she would take her wrath out on them. Annaryi would start to pace again.. she thinks more... Still holding the fragment of the pillar in his hand Zandeln wanders atop a lonely hill in Edhellond. Pausing for a while to go over the songs he has crafted in his mind. A song of Justice, and perhaps, revenge. For now it's a rather peaceful scene. A lone En'thromii atop a quiet forested hill, in quiet contemplation. What he is contemplating isn't quiet at all...he hums a few measures testing Gaia's temper today. Would his goddess allow such a use of her powers she had gifted him at birth? There was only one way to find out....one last time he goes over the song in the silence of his mind. He would only have one shot at this. Zebeyanna made her way to Edhellond from Lundene. Her thoughts and mind were on what Lykaois had told her when she was in the presence of the giant wolf and her father. She had selected something simple to wear, closer to nature. Closing her eyes, she stopped where she was, sending forth her thoughts and wishes to the universe and to the Moon Goddess, Luna. She never knew if she'd been heard by the Goddess...only hoped that she had. Lykaois's words rang clearly in her head. "Learn to work with what you are to serve the Goddess." Perhaps his words were true...that there was still a need for her to help. He'd mentioned the great evil that had come or was coming to the lands that the people lived in and upon. A shudder coursed through her body, goosebumps forming upon the lycan's skin. In the pouch she had upon her side, small amounts of sage were neatly wrapped in soft parchment. "In all my trainings, I pray yours hasn't left me, Zil." she spoke softly to herself. The scent of someone she knew well wafted to her nares. Her heart jumped when it told her who it was. "Stone Singer..." she whispered and as it came out, a light breeze blew by her, directed towards where he was as it changed direction. Moving forward, she neared the stone pedestal and placed her hands upon its rough surface. "Please hear me, Luna." she whispered out. Zandeln he starts to hum first, a very robust, martial melody. A war song after a fashion, he touches the gift of Gaia's song, and starts to send that into the fragment. Sure enough what he suspect was true, the fragment on the other side. Marrok's side, are still where the lay. In Marroks very own realm. As soon as him humming touches that fragment though, anyone that had been exposed to them in the past would fell the reawakening of the power within the pillars, but now...under someone else's guiding song. He lifts his voice up and starts to sing as he silent begs Gaia for the strength and her blessing for this dangerous and risky task. You see me but I'm not there Like the calm before the storm You hear me, I'm everywhere In the wind and in the rain Feel me in every breeze I'm the chill inside your spine I'm burning, you start to freeze As you slowly turn around Zandeln the skies around Edehllond are ripped in a purple slash of riotous color once again, as Zandeln taps into the wolf side of the stone singing gift, that of opening the ways between the spirit realms, as continues to sing his song of revenge and justice to the pillar stones. There is even a soundless cracking from the skies that is felt in the lands he is singing from as he invokes the elder magics he was given. The purple slash/haze rapidly zero's in on the song, and Zandeln begins forming another Lupinar. But not in this land. He is using the pillar stones, that are hidden off in Marroks land, where ever that is. Songs are all about synergy, and the pillars were linked. That's what gave him the idea to use them yet again. And down in your hole Solitary darkness rule You are forlorn 'Cause justice will be mine Prowling the night Justice calling, we'll track you down Justice calling, ready to strike Justice calling, breaking the chains Hammer of Justice seeking his revenge Zebeyanna heard the song of the Stone Singer. She knew of his power in the songs as he'd talked to her before about them. She had only, briefly, touched the fragment that was in the den a while back; knew nothing about it, except of its importance to her friends and the safety of the En'Thromii. Giving a sigh, she let the soothing power of his song fill her being. This gave aid to what she needed to do...to attempt to commune with the Goddess, Luna. Pulling the small dagger from her pouch, she placed it in her hands, the blade cool to the touch. Grasping it lightly by the small hilt in her left hand, she used her right to stroke along the blade, drawing upon her inner mana pool to make the metal grow hot. A small flame formed upon it and this is what she used to ignite the small pile of sage she'd placed on the edge of the stone pillar. One pile was enough to use for this and as the flame died, the metal flaked and fell apart...its part of her ritual done. Her palms warm, she moved her hands, pulling the smoke into and over her, then she closed her eyes, reaching out with her thoughts to the Goddess, hoping she'd hear her. Zandeln's martial themed song goes on. In the far off realm of Marrok, the pillar stone fragments there flow together and take shape, and form into to rocky crags pushing and jutting up from the ground there. Again the Lupinar there is in the shape of wolf claws coming up from the ground. The sky also breaks up in Marrok's realms as the gate there starts to form. Marrok howls scream in rage at the totally unexpected magic being wrought in his own realm. From untold distances away. Harmonically linked things can be used both ways. And Zandeln is exploiting that again. This time though he isn't making the Lupinar a temporary one, Zandeln add's just a small touch of his own spirit to the song, to solidify the gate for good. The claws forming in Marrok's realm, begin to look exactly like Zandeln's own. Dead man walking by There's a void inside his eyes Judgment, a final sigh Here the screams electrified As the mirror turns blank And your essence fades away Your chapter's closed Sealed with thunderbolts Zebeyanna felt something responding to her ritual of meditation. Sensitivity to things helped to start bringing her closer to the Goddess. Her father had talked about the strength of both; she'd seen Lykaois in his humanoid form and bore his gift now. The fact that she still stood was proof enough that she was needed. Breaking her meditative state, she sank down sigh an exhausted sigh. "Whatever you have planned for me, the tasks you ask of my help, let me know soon, dear Luna." she whispered out. A breeze picked up, taking with it the ashen remains of the burnt sage she'd used. Looking over to where Zandeln was, a soft smile formed. Her heart jumped lightly as she thought back to the past when he had begun to court her and her smile widened a little at that memory. "Handsome wolf...I'm glad we remained friends." Moving her legs a bit, she sat cross-legged, her eyes closing as she let her thoughts and mind drift, relaxing into the forever pulse of Gaia. Zandeln is almost done, and this is the risky part. he is going to call something to that gate he's oping in Marrok's realm, by one of it;s names. He pelts out the last refrain of his war song, putting his heart into it. A heart that is not just good, but has also been tainted by death and evil as of late. And thats why this just might work. It's a powerful song of calling as well, as he uses the name of one of the Namless, then name for a lord of the Chaos Wolves. No En'thromii in their right mind should be doing what Zandeln is. Their whole existence to to keep the Chaos Wolves and other things locked up in the Umbra's where they belong. There is no way even Marrok could of anticipate this move by anyone. It's just never been done. In the silence of all Wolven kind's hearts there is a feeling of something being done, that's been forbidden, that goes against the purpose. As he sings the last refrain a gate solidifies within the new Lupinar, the purple undulating opaqueness, wreathed by lightning, and a path between two realms is opened. One side in Marrok's and the other, in the Umbra of the Chaos Wolves. Justice calling, we'll track you down Justice calling, ready to strike Justice calling, breaking the chains Hammer of Justice, seeking his revenge Seeing Justice everywhere, I go I search for tomorrow and I know you will be there The Hammer of Justice is the key to the future The "Bringer of Sorrow" is the last goal, see! His forbidden songs ends, and the silence in Edhellond is almost deafening. Using the last vibrations of his gift he looks through the fragment of the pillar he holds. On the other side in Marrok's hidden realm, that his pack has been looking for for ages, a giant paw 10 time the size of the biggest wolf, maybe even larger then Lykaois, starts to emerge from the gate. A Chaos Wolf emerges.... The vision is ripped from Zandeln as that forbidden stone song and working takes it toll, and he collapses on the ground in Edhellond, unconscious. The disturbing thing is there is a malicious evil grin plaited on his unconscious face. He finally after years, got revenge for the loss of the Shadow Lands. He's turned lose the Chaos Wolves on Marrok the Mad. ((Song used with some alteration, “Hammer of Justice”, by Hammerfall)) _______________________________________________________ The Stone Singers Chaos (penned by Freya) Skittering across the floor chasing a particularly fat beetle Dak’Ta is hit by a force, a force of that which he has never felt. His small reptilian body is lifted and thrown against the wall to slide down like a wet rag. Marrock looks up from his attempt to harness the power of the tears with his potions and metals from the floor below as the entire castle shakes and shudders. Dak’Ta shakes his head and looks from where he was thrown. A dark and viscous cloud begins to form, a cloud the size of the giant outer wall of the castle. In the distance can be heard the sing song howls of the stone singer. A low rumble fills the air as the very foundations of the castle shudder, laying down the vials Marrock begins to mount the circular stairs to the floor above taking them two at a time, falling against the side as the shaking becomes worse. As he breaches the top, he sees the cloud, dark and rolling, it seems as if it is alive with tendrils of miasma reaching out ever widening the darkness in the center. Hissing “Massssterrssssss ssssomething comessssss, it comesssss for ussssss” Dak’Ta screeches in terror, running and sliding under Marrocks robes, his reptilian hands clutching at the cloth. Almost tripping over the minion he kicks at him sending him sliding back across the room to slam once again into the wall he just left. Turning he raises his hands and throws his magic up to attempt to stop that which is intruding. The cloud becomes even bigger, not even noticing that which is being flung at it. Suddenly, they see an enormous paw, dark black with what looks like some sort of dark energy flowing slightly around it appear from the middle of that absolute darkness. As more of the creature appears, Dak’Ta screams a high pitched wail and runs once again to hide behind his Sorcerer. Soon the head and chest of an extremely large wolf appears. Black fur with what looks like flashes of some dark energy swirling around it, the wolf easily as large as the largest grizzly bear Its head low, a deep growl emanates from its large chest, Marrock pushes again with his power and realizes that he cannot stop the creature. Somewhere a whisper is heard, not really a whisper but a leathery voice it says “Chaos has been released, its madness descends upon you silver one and you can do nothing about it!’ the last word trail off in psychotic laughter which echoes from the great halls. The creature explodes from the cloud with an earsplitting howl, one that seems almost otherworldly. Its chest hits Marrock knocking him down and he lands on top of him, its great maw hanging over his face, saliva flowing over the 6 inch long canines just a hairs breadth from check of the sorcerer, the wetness covering his face as the wolf sinks his teeth into the front of his robes and with a mighty shake of his head slings him across the room. Only grunting slightly, Marrock quickly casts a slowing spell, preventing as much damage to his body as possible as he slides down the wall to land in a crouch. The small body of Dak’Ta flys from under Marrocks robes and lands in the trench of food waste, gasping he comes up with rotted turnips hanging from his head, his mouth open chittering trying to get out. Holding his hand out “I command you by the power of the darkness and the will of that which rules the night to be gone” Marrock calls, as his words finish a blue ball of energy forms and flies at the chaos wolf. It hits it in the chest and it is knocked back several feet, the vicious claws on its feet dig into the stone, renting it up with a grinding screech. It’s head lifts and a mighty roar shakes the very walls of the castle, large portions of the building beginning to crumble, both from the pounding of the energies and the vibrations from the roar itself. Dak’Ta seeing his master throw screams in anger, his own safety forgotten for now leaps at the wolf, his claws clutching at the ruff around the head trying to get purchase. For some reason it is as if there is no or little substance to actually cling onto and he begins sliding down the body of the big wolf. The wolf focusing on the silver haired sorcerer ignores the minion, it begins to slowly stalk forward, each step a thundering pound upon the cracked and rented stonework. As Dak’Ta slides he screams his anger and frustration out, attempting to grab hold he simply manages to pull black fur out and jump as energy smacks at him with small spits of black lightning. He begins spitting at the wolf, hoping the poison of his saliva will slow it down. As he slides he gets to the wolfs tails, seeing that he wasn’t stopping his eyes grow wide as the wolf begins to swing it, attempting to fling him off and Dak’Ta realizes that they are at the edge of the cliff upon which the castle stands. Suddenly he screeches again and tries to hang on by pulling his feet up. One swing to the left, a swing to the right and he goes flying, mouth and eyes wide open in fury and frustration as his purplish little body is hurled over the railing and drops, to whatever lies below his screeches slowly fading. As the wolf moves closer to Marrock, he slams the tables and bookshelves sway, destroying the room and that which he has collected. Marrock calls up an energy wall for protection, a magical shield which the wolf simply ignores and pushes through. Eyes widening he turns and begins to take the steps up to where the precious substance lies, hoping that it will be the thing that saves him. The wolf bounds up the stairs behind him, his clawed foot reaching out and slamming into his back and leg, flinging him to the floor, he slides just past the swirling pool of what looks like liquid silver. As he slides, Marrock twists, the blood and pain making him gasp as a long streak of red trails in his wake. Moving to all fours he is face to face with the wolf, the long canines just inches from his perfect features. Cursing he begins to slowly slide to the left, wincing as pain hits the long rents marring the flesh of his back. In an attempt to distract the wolf, he gasps out a spell and suddenly a mirror image of the sorcerer appears to the side of the room, the wolf turns his head for a moment and Marrock uses uses the opportunity to his advantage. Gritting his teeth he rolls to the edge of the liquid, pulling off the ties of his robe he dips the end into the swirling silver. Rolling over onto his back at the last minute as the wolf pounces on him he shoves the tear soaked cloth into the wolves maw, the top canine just slicing along the forehead of the perfect features leaving a jagged cut. As the tear soaked material is shoved within the throat the wolf screams in agony as if something is burning it from within. When it raises up, Marrock pulls from under it and yells “I bind you and banish you, one of that which is not, that which was chaos before time began I banish you back from whence you came! I close the entrance of that which the stone singer wrought!” as he yells it, the wolf begins to lose its strength, the tears eating away at the body and the energy of the wolf, large chunks of flesh are left behind as it slowly slides back down the stairs to the now smaller writhing clouds. When it finally goes back through the cloud dissipates, a silence is heard in the castle. The only sounds are the heavy breathing of the sorcerer and the slow dripping of blood from the many tears and cuts upon his body. Pulling himself up, he makes it to the herbs table where he conjures a pain relieving mixture, as he reaches for it he catches a glimpse of himself in the mirror, the ugly tear across his forehead is not healing as it should. Leaning back his head he screams out in fury “Stone Singer, you will rue the day in which you crossed me, you will pay for this with the blood of that which is most precious!” Gasping I wake up, sweat covering my body as I lay there. I realize it was not a dream but a vision. Cursing I rise and bathe, dressing I go to find the stone singer to see what he has done. _______________________________________________________ The War of Tears – Final Book – The Singers Last Song Zandeln had been thrust to the four winds by recent events. First there was the loss of his first born child, followed by the rapidly advancing rift in his family. Mom was lost for all time in the Umbra's, somewhere, after which Argolind removed himself from the pack, leaving it in Akai's hands. So he sought refuge in the lands of the fae, and for a short time, it was quiet and peaceful, but then the nightmares started. Once night his dream was of hunting a rabbit as a wolf, and the rabbit would turn into Mom just as he bit to break it's neck. Another dream would be his father, and Argloind standing over the ruins of Queen's comet's body cheering, while Sylvahara burned and Ruvinas looted. Then there was the ever increasingly present dream of the loss of the South Wood's which returned to haunt him. It was in the bleary eyes half awakeness after that dream that he was confronted by a bear watching him. Not just any bear, but Mato. “Mato?” he greeted the bear, ” Is that you? I though you had gone to the umbra with our lands.” Mato simply looked at Zandeln then turned and howled, opening a way, and before stepping though it, motioned Zandeln to follow. As the Bear went into the gate, it shimmer and closed. “Wait!” called Zandeln, still mentally foggy from his interrupted sleeping. Following that with a “Xas!” He moved over to a formation of rocks saying, “Well...I better see what Mato need's,” still not thinking to clearly. He then lifts his voice in stone song, melding the stone into the shape of five wolf claws, then singing stronger as he forms his own stone song gate. A Slash of deep purple mage like fire rips across the sky to settle where the gate forms. Zandeln steps though the Gate to find Mato. As he passes through, all the figurines that he sung for people and friends, lose their luster looking more like something carved by a tool, then formed smoothly. The Lupinars he sung up, all start to crumble, including the new one he just made. All his songs, and work done with them, leaves Toril, as Zandeln makes the same mistake many Stone Singers have before. He used his own gate. The songs go with the singer when they sing themselves to another plane. Three slashes of deep purple fire again rip across the sky, from the area of the three lupinars, until the fire of them fades into the horizon, as Zandelns songs fade from Toril. His final song, unintentionally sung. The bear casts off it's invisibility, and starts to laugh evilly as it's form changes, but not into Mato. Standing there gloating in glee at the ruins of the last lupinar, the last maybe ever, is Marrok the Mad. “I told you, Singer, that you would pay for daring to attack me in my realm.” Marrok touches his scarred face, where the Chaos Wolf had left it's mark, then spits on the crumbled lupinar. “You were the last Singer and the last threat, and now you are no more.” In a flash Marrok will's himself back to his plane of existence, his revenge on Zandeln now complete. _______________________________________________________ Category:Fourth Epoch Category:En'Thromii Category:Tir na Alari Category:Conflicts Category:Major Events Category:History of Unarath Category:War of the Tears Category:Zandeln